A friend at court is better than a penny in the purse.
Meaning: Social connections with influential people create more opportunities than monetary savings alone.
Origin: An old English proverb: influence with the powerful can achieve what money cannot. It dates from a time when royal favor decided lawsuits, appointments and fortunes.
More proverbs about Perseverance
- Courtesy on one side never lasts long. — Politeness requires mutual effort; when only one person maintains kindness, the relations…
- A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often. — External efforts cannot change one's fundamental nature or inherent qualities.
- It never goes well when the hen crows. — When women assume traditionally male roles or authority, social disorder follows.
- Cruelty is a tyrant always attended by fear. — Fear haunts the cruel because their victims will seek retribution when opportunity allows.
- What cannot be cured must be endured. — Accept hardships beyond your control rather than waste energy resisting the inevitable.
- Never venture out of your depth until you can swim. — Avoid situations beyond your capability until you've mastered the necessary skills.
From our tongue twisters
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. — The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
- 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다. (Ganjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Jang gongjangjang igo, doenjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Gang gongjangjang ida.) — A 'gong/jang/gang' syllable storm — the two surnames (Jang/Gang) swap while the rest stay…
- 경찰청 철창살은 외철창살이고 검찰청 철창살도 외철창살이다. (Gyeongchalcheong cheolchangsal eun oe cheolchangsal igo, geomchalcheong cheolchangsal do oe cheolchangsal ida.) — A 'cheong/cheol/chal' onslaught — Korean's aspirated stops and affricates in relentless s…